Spider-Man To Tell His Deadliest Enemy’s ‘Secret History’

With one of Spider-Man’s deadliest foes, the Sin-Eater now back in Marvel’s Universe, the coming issues promise a new look into the serial killer villain’s secret history. Amazing Spider-Man: Sins Rising Prelude #1 is a one-shot story prefacing the upcoming “Sins Rising” storyline in the wall-crawler’s regular series. The title suggests that the central adversary will be Sin-Eater, a character who in relatively few appearances has inflicted devastating wounds to Spider-Man’s sense of justice and responsibility.

Sin-Eater’s significant impact on the Marvel Universe is mainly associated with his first appearance. In 1985, Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man #107 began the four-issue story arc “The Death Of Jean DeWolff” by writer Peter David and artist Rich Buckler. Sin-Eater was introduced as a shotgun-wielding serial murderer enhanced by super-steroids who killed those he saw as “sinners.” His first known victim was NYPD Captain Jean DeWolff, Spider-Man’s ally and almost-friend in the police department. Sin-Eater is later revealed to be Stan Carter, a police detective and former agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. Although several versions of Sin-Eater have existed over the years, it was Captain DeWolff’s killer who dealt the most visceral blow to Spider-Man, driving Webhead towards a prescient confrontation with Daredevil over the flaws of the legal system, and the cost of vigilante justice.

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Previewed in Marvel’s April solicitations, Amazing Spider-Man: Sins Rising Prelude #1 features Sin-Eater’s familiar outfit on Ryan Ottley’s cover, with writer Nick Spencer and artist Kim Jacinto comprising the primary creative team. From Marvel’s official description: “Nick Spencer pulls back the curtain on one of the most dangerous Spidey villains in history. We will not only reveal more of Sin-Eater’s secret history but put him on a collision course with Spider-Man that will have you quaking in your seat.” Presumably the “Sins Rising” arc will further explore Sin-Eater’s origins, initially represented in “The Death of Jean DeWolff” and its sequel.

The question of Spider-Man’s “greatest” villain is, naturally, up for spirited debate, which we could sub-divide into categories of fearsomeness like Most Powerful, Most Dangerous, Most Genetically Similar To Spidey Himself. But Sin-Eater has a strong argument for Most Uncomfortably Real, owing to the original tale by David and Buckler, which brought a film noir sensibility and a harrowing depiction of street-level gun violence to Spider-Man’s colorful escapades. Sin-Eater occupies a special position in Spidey’s rogues gallery, serving both as brutal reminder of real-world terrors and in his nominal function as costumed villain. Note the color motif of Sin-Eater’s otherwise-pragmatic outfit. Whether it’s Green Goblin, Joker or Kang, the green and purple combination always assures that trouble is coming.

Amazing Spider-Man: Sins Rising Prelude #1 arrives on April 29th, 2020.

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